Buckle.



o. A. WHBLAN.

BUCKLE. PPLIGAT'ION kFILED 1113.3, 1910.

.Patented May 23, 1911.

. atten/mfp NITED STATES" BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rATENT oFFIoE. y

Application led March 3, 1910. Serial No. 547,044.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WHELAN, a citizen of the United States, vresiding at Buena Vista, in the county of Chaee and State 'of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles;

end of the strap thus securely held bythey clailrllping engagement of thetongue therewit Another object is to provide a buckle by means of which the end of a strap may be secured without the necessity of providing perforations in the strap.

With the foregoing and other objectsin view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in f the appended claims.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package fastened by a strap having my improved buckle applied thereto, and showing the manner in which the strap is engaged with and secured by the buckle; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the buckle.; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the buckle; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof; Fig' is a similar view showing the end of a strap secured by the buckle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the body portion yof the buckle, said body portion being formed from a flat metalplate which may be of any suitable shape and which is here' shown as being of oblong or rectangular form. The plate or body portion of the buckle is bent into the form of a compound curve and in the inner end of the plate is formed a transverse slot 2, in which is secured one end o f a strap 3. The slot 2 is enlarged on one side midway between its ends to form a notch 4, which is adapted to be engaged with a nail or similar device for hanging up the buckle and strap.

In the plate or body 1, a suitable `distance from the slot 2, is formed a secondy notch or slot 5, which opens through one yedge of the buckle, as shown. Loosely connected tothe plate or body of the buckle between theslot 2 and notch 5 is a strap engaging tongue 6, which is preferably in the form of a flat metal plate on the inner end of which -are formed downwardly and rearwardly bent hook shaped fastening lugs 7 which are adapted to be engaged with slots 8 formed in the plate 1, whereby the tongue is loosely held in position. On the rear edge of the tongue are also formed rearwardly projecting stop lugs 9, which engage the upper side of the plate or body portion and servecto limit the upward swinging or rocking movement of the tongue. When the tongue is connected with `the plate or body 1 of the buckle, as shown and described, the forward edge of the tongue will lap over the slot or notch 5 a suicient distance to bring the forward edge of the tongue adjacent to the forward edge of the notch or slot 5, thus forming between the forward edge of the tongue Patented May 23, 1911.

and the adjacent edge of the notcha space 10 preferably about one-sixteenth of an inch in width. l

In order to fasten the end of the strap, after the same has been passed around the package or articles to be fastened thereby, the free end of the strap'is slipped into the spacelO between the edge of the tongue and the adjacent/'edge of the slot', whereby the strap will be securely clamped by the tongue against theadjacent edge of the slot 5 which will prevent any backward movement of the strap through the buckle. By thus securing the strap, any backward pull thereon will simply'cause thetongue to moretightly grip or bind the strap. In order to facilitate the engagement of the strap with the space 10, the outer corner of the forward edge of the tongue is slightly rounded, as is also the adjacent corner of the forward edge of the slot or notch 5. By thus rounding the corners of the tongue and edge of the slot, the outer end'of the space 10 is made flaring as shown at 11,-which, when the edge of the strap is engaged therewith, will guide the strap into the space 10. The inner ,forward corner of the tongue is also slightly rounded as shown at 12 whereby, when the strap is drawn into engagement with the edge of thev buckle, the inner edge of the strap will tend 'to curl or bind around the corner of the end a strap fastening notch and a holding notch, a tongue comprising a fiat plate arranged on one side of the buckle and adapted to overlap said strap fastening notch and to coact therewith to grip the end of the strap when engaged therewith, hook-shaped fastening lugs formed on said tongue plate and adapted to be engaged with the buckle plate to loosely attach the tongue thereto whereby the latter is adapted to have a slight swinging movement, and stop lugs formed on said tongue plate and adapted to engage the buckle plate to limit said swinging movement of the tongue. A

3. A buckle comprising a plate bent in the form of a compound curve, said plate having formed therein adjacent to one end a strap receiving slot having an enlargement adapted to be engaged with a nail or other support and in its opposite end having formed fastening and holding notches, said notches opening inwardly from opposite edges of the buckle plate, a tongue comprising a plate loosely connected to the buckle plate and adapted to lap over the buckle fastening notch whereby the forward edge of said tongue plate coacts with the rear edge of the notch to grip or bind the strap when engaged therewith, said tongue and edge of the slot having rounded outer corners to facilitate the engagement of the strap between said edges of the tongue and notch, said tongue also having its inner corner rounded off, whereby the inner edge of the strap is caused to curl or bind around said corner, thus preventing lateral slip ping movement of the strap from between the edge of the tongue and slot.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wittongue and will thus aid in holding the strap from slipping laterally out of the space 10.

In the forward end of the plate or body 1 of the buckle is formed a third notch or slot 13, which opens through the opposite edge of the buckle from the notch or slot 5. The notch or slot 13 is provided to receive the end of the strap after being fastened by the tongue, thus preventing the casual disengagement or releasing of the strap from its fastening between the tongue and the adjacent edge of the notch 5.

A buckle constructed as herein shown and described will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, eflicient and reliable in operation, and is adapted to receive and secure the end of a strap much more quickly than the common or ordinary form of buckle.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a strap, a buckle attached to one end of the strap and provided with an S-shaped portion forming parallel transverse slots which open on opposite sides of the buckle and which are adapted to receive the free end of the strap, and a gripping tongue loosely mounted on the buckle to co-act with the inner slot and l nesses.

engage the strap the other slot serving to l retaain the strap iii the inner one. b l CHARLES A' XVHELAN' 2. A buckle of the character described lVitnesses:

comprising a plate having formed in one l FRANK HARRISON,

end a strap receiving slot and in its opposite C. W. HALLooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

